Common Loon, Tramp Harbor Pier, Vashon Island, WA 15 Jan 2014

This bird swam by while I was waiting the the yellow-billed loon, which did not appear. I hoped it would flip it wings, but no luck. Loons, except for red-throated, have "moved" the wing molt to the spring pre-breeding molt occurring now. If you watch long enough, they will extend their wings and they look like stubby penguin flippers. Loons and many seabirds molt flight feathers simultaneously, so they can't fly until feathers have regrown.